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Labor Day domination: Travel ball team wins tourney By Michael Murillo mmurillo@lakerlutznews.com
When a baseball team goes to a tournament and scores 40 runs while only giving up five, you’d expect them to win the tournament handily. And when the Carrollwood Gators competed in the Perfect Game’s World Wood-Bat Association Labor Day Classic in Fort Myers, that’s exactly what happened. The Gators’ 16U team — for athletes graduating high school in 2017 — went through the tournament with a perfect 6-0 record, claimed the title, and earned Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Pitcher honors as well. Performing well at a Perfect Game event is a big deal, according to Danny Rodriguez, general manager and founder of the Carrollwood Gators. “It’s the organization to go to in order to get your boys seen on a college and a pro level,” he said. In addition to the victory at the recent 16-team Perfect Game tournament, the Gators also finished in the top 16 of the organization’s 100-team Memorial Day tournament, and in the top eight of its 86team Fourth of July tournament. While the Gator athletes also play on their high school teams — several attend Steinbrenner High School, and most live in Lutz or Land O’ Lakes — the travel ball team offers them extra opportunities to get noticed by college scouts. The Perfect Game system is extremely competitive, Rodriguez said, and good performances in tournaments will get the club — and its players — noticed by colleges around the country. The 16U team should have a national ranking after the victory; the general manager is hoping for a top 10 spot when they’re released in a couple of weeks. That kind of recognition is essential for players looking to extend their careers beyond high school, Rodriguez said. In addition to playing in high school, a quality travel ball team experience is essential to helping athletes take that next step. “It’s a must,” he said.“If they want to go to the next level, they need to go to the college showcases that they want to go to, and they need to be a part of something that’s
MICHAEL MURILLO/STAFF PHOTO
Ryan Glass, left, C.J. VanEyk and Cam Coakley were part of the Carrollwood Gators’ 6-0 run at the Perfect Game Labor Day Classic in Fort Myers.
going to get them seen, that’s going to be right there in front of the college coaches.” Rodriguez tries to help get his athletes noticed by colleges, and said the tournament win will only increase the stature of the program. Athletes playing for the Carrollwood Gators have gone on to play in schools like Pasco-Hernando State College, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Alabama State University. Some students attend on full scholarships as well. While all the teams in the Perfect Game system are talented, the Gators do things differently. Instead of large-scale tryouts that draw athletes from different cities, or even states, and multiple teams representing each club, the team prefers to draw from local talent, mostly hand-selected athletes who play
different positions. That keeps the traveling team small:The Gators brought just 11 players to the recent tournament. And according to head coach Pete Mocny, there are significant benefits to their philosophy. “They all know each other from previous travel teams,” Mocny said of the players. “The team chemistry is big in helping us do a little extra to beat the sometimes more-talented teams.We can still really compete, and many times beat them.” C.J. VanEyk, a Steinbrenner student whose pitching was instrumental in the team’s only close game at the tournament, a 5-3 semifinal win, agrees. “Everybody knows each other really well. We have good chemistry and everybody gets to play more with a smaller team,” he said.“We hit the ball really good, and we
had the pitching to back it up. And when you do that, you can’t really be beat.” Strong fundamentals were another reason why the Gators weren’t beaten at the tournament, Mocny said.The team committed no errors in the first five games, and shut out their opponent in the final by a score of 7-0. As a result, it was one of the best performances the coach has seen from the team. “It’s easy to coach them,” Mocny said. “I’m proud of them.They did a great job out there.” And Rodriguez believes the team that achieved so much is full of players who can achieve even more in college. “Every single one has the talent,” he said. “If they play it right and they keep their grades (up), there’s a place in college for each one of those players.”
Rebels fall to Miami in FBA title game By Michael Murillo mmurillo@lakerlutznews.com
COURTESY OF TAMPA BAY REBELS
Hard work during training camp led to another strong season for the Tampa Bay Rebels, which fell just short of the title for the second year in a row.
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THIS OUT
CARROLLWOOD GATORS BASEBALL TRYOUTS
The Carrollwood Gators, a travel baseball team, will host open tryouts on Sept. 14. The tryouts are for teams comprised of athletes graduating high school in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. For information, search for “Carrollwood Gators” on Facebook.com.
SEPTEMBER EVENTS FOR LUTZ BASEBALL
Lutz Baseball is hosting several events in September. • Top baseball prospect Domingo Ayala will host a clinic on Sept. 14 at Oscar Cooler Park from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Registration fees are $25 per child and includes lunch. • Play It Again Sports will collect donated sports and exercise equipment on Sept. 14 at Oscar Cooler Park as well. Proceeds will benefit Lutz Baseball.
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September 10, 2014
• A charity golf outing benefiting Lutz Baseball will be at Avila Golf & Country Club, 943 Guisando De Avila, on Sept. 15.Tee time is at 1 p.m., and a round of golf starts at $150 per person. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Oscar Cooler Park is located at 770 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road. For information, visit LutzBaseball.com.
FREE TENNIS PLAY DAY
A free tennis event will be Sept. 14 at Lake Padgett Estates East, 4533 Savanah Way in Land O’ Lakes. The event is part of Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play. The play day will be between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and is designed for children ages five to 10 years old. For information, email U.S. Professional Tennis Association pro Jeanette Marcus at jmarcusddm@gmail.com.
DOUBLES TENNIS PLAYERS SOUGHT
Tennis 4 u/Tennis Para Ti is looking for doubles tennis players for matches in Dade City. The organization also is offering private and group tennis lessons for players of all
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The Tampa Bay Rebels, a semi-professional basketball team that plays its home games at Freedom High School, always seem to finish their seasons the same way: In the Florida Basketball Association championship game. For the third year in a row, the Rebels were one of two teams left standing. But while they took the title in 2012, the last two years have ended with a loss — this time a 98-82 defeat to the Miami Midnites on Aug. 10. While it was a disappointing end to the year — it was the first time they were held to under 90 points all season, and just the
ages and skill levels. For information, call Jeanette Marcus at (813) 417-0061, or email jmarcusddm@gmail.com.
NEW TENNIS LEAGUE
The Tri-County Tennis League is looking for individuals, teams and facilities to begin league play. It will include age divisions from 40s and older. League play also will feature ratingsonly play, regardless of age. For information, call Walt Bockmiller at (813) 527-8211.
CHEVAL CARES 5K SET
The third annual Cheval Cares 5k run will take place Sept. 20 to benefit the Pediatric Cancer Foundation. The 5-kilometer event begins and ends at the Cheval Athletic Club, 4142 Cheval Blvd., in Lutz.There will be a post-race family fun party after the event. The cost is $30 for adults and $20 for children. Registration will not be available on the day of the event for non-residents of Cheval. For information and to register, visit ChevalCares5k.com.
second time they were held to under 100 — it was still another impressive campaign. A 10-2 record meant they’ve compiled a 31-4 mark over the past three regular seasons. Finishing with a loss to the Midnites was a tough-but-familiar feeling for the club. Miami was the only team that beat them all year:The Rebels lost two home contests to Miami while winning one against them on the road during the regular season. Add in a third loss to the Midnites in the title game, and those setbacks mean Tampa Bay had a successful 2014 season, but finished runner-up to Miami in 2014. The Rebels’ 2015 season will begin next spring. For more information, visit TampaBayRebels.com.
T-SHIRTS SUPPORT CROSS-COUNTRY COACH
“I Run For Keppel”T-shirts are available to help support Land O’ Lakes High School cross-country coach Kris Keppel, who is battling pancreatic cancer. The shirts are $15 each, with all proceeds going to Keppel. For information or to make a donation, call (813) 406-5730, or email carolyn011jr@hotmail.com or kbdehaas@aol.com.
SOCCER LEAGUE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
The Greater Tampa Bay Football Club is now accepting registrations for its fall and winter soccer league. The league is open to boys and girls in north Hillsborough and Pasco counties from ages 5 through 19. Each team will have one practice day per week, and a game on Saturdays. Practices and games will be at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway. To register, visit GTBFC.com. For information, call Frank Coorey at (727) 423-8886, or e-mail fcoorey@verizon.net.